Turning off the Phone Alerts.

[Sheila]

Did anyone get one? We didn't.

OH and I were both in the same room.  He got an alert but I didn't.

[Michael Rolls]

didn't get it - iPhone 5s. I must be DOOMED, Mr. Mainwaring

[klondike]

Do you have those settings options? The iPhone 5 is pretty old now and probably can't show alerts.

They apparently use something called Cell Broadcast which was around from when the system was designed. I vaguely recall something that showed numbers from the cells but don't remember what they were or why I looked at them at the time.

Anyway the new alert function requires code in the phone operating system to make use of these broadcasts and if it doesn't have that the phone won't show the alert so yes you won't be getting the message to bend over and kiss your bum goodbye because the little fay bloke in North Korea is nuking us.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_Broadcast

[Michael Rolls]

Actually, just discovered that my phone seems dead - refusing to charge, and it was plugged in in the kitchen all yesterday after about noon, but I have now found that the battery is flat and it won't accept a charge, so that may be the reason.

[Scrumpy]

My phone alert came on yesterday.. I just pressed OK.. all done.. 
Why on earth would I not.!!
My mate who lives down the road didn't receive an alert on her phone..
I told her not to worry .. If mine goes off and it's a nuclear war warning.. I'll pop down the road and tell her..

[Ashy]

This is all very well until it tells you  that you are out of your zone and will be fined accordingly.

[Sheila]

Paul thinks that my phone is 3G and that's why I didn't get an alert.  Inferior again!

[klondike]

This is all very well until it tells you  that you are out of your zone and will be fined accordingly.

I'm pretty sure that it's just a simple one way broadcast to all phones in the given area. There are no checks on which phones are getting it or where they are. Given how useless government IT is I seriously doubt that they are capable of developing anything like that.

[Ashy]

I appreciate the scepticism but we already have fines being sent out after automatic number plate recognition. Facial recognition is only a step behind, the ability to link devices is already established. I think we  could easily be in trouble here.

[klondike]

There are plenty of options for spying on folk with smart phones but this alert system isn't one they can use for anything more than sending a message and you can turn it off, turn your phone off, or just use a Nokia brick.

[Diasi]

I appreciate the scepticism but we already have fines being sent out after automatic number plate recognition. Facial recognition is only a step behind, the ability to link devices is already established. I think we  could easily be in trouble here.

It'll get to the stage where a suspect being IUC'd , when asked "where were you at such a time", could answer "you tell me". 

[klondike]

[GrannyMac]

I got an alert, and didn't find it annoying.  OH on his older phone, didn't. 

[dextrous63]

I'd turned the alerts off so didn't get one.  However, I was tutoring online and my student's phone sounded the alert in the background, so I heard it anyway!

[Michael Rolls]

I am on the 3 network, which apparently didn't get the alert -DOOMED again